


31 Days of Marinette

by kitty_pryde_bi_pride



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Badass Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Fluff, Found Family, Gen, Guardian Marinette Dupain-Cheng, Hurt/Comfort, Marinette March, Marinette March 2020, Miraculous Side Effects
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-14
Updated: 2020-07-12
Packaged: 2021-03-03 18:54:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 31
Words: 14,537
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24710404
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kitty_pryde_bi_pride/pseuds/kitty_pryde_bi_pride
Summary: I was going through my computer and realized I had started a ton of the Marinette March prompts from this year and didn't do anything with them, so I'm going to start editing and posting them now!Basically just a ton of fluff and found family and badass Marinette Dupain-Cheng growing as a person and Guardian.
Relationships: Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug & Everyone
Comments: 1
Kudos: 99





	1. new beginnings

Marinette received the Ladybug miraculous when she was fourteen years old, and she accepted naively, full of idealistic hope and belief in the people around her to be genuinely good individuals. Although, what kid would realistically say no to super heroism and powers? It was honestly a bit unfair for Fu to have asked her in the first place, to put that much pressure on forcing her to commit to something so young. And, sure, she had used every ounce of young teen brainpower she possessed to initially refuse the power, but ultimately there had been no choice. 

And now, three years later, Marinette was living alone and struggling to find money to survive and was still trapped as Ladybug and Master Fu was gone and she was exhausted and hurt and terrified. 

It really wasn’t at all fair for someone to come in and steal her youth – her innocence – without even warning her of the consequences. It wasn’t decent to make her agree to a war she never had a stake in. It wasn’t remotely okay for her to have moved out of her parent’s bakery at the tender age of sixteen because she couldn’t stop picturing them dead because she wasn’t always fast enough and she couldn’t do enough.

And then he left? Left behind the box of miraculouses for her to find in her room, a book of lore in a language she couldn’t even read and directions to continue his legacy and become the next Guardian? 

She thought about her partner, Chat Noir, who she still hadn’t revealed her identity to because Fu asked her not to, to the countless friends she had been forced to recruit for a war that she had never even wanted to fight herself, and knew that whatever innocent hope she once had was long dead.

Tikki had been warning her for weeks about the effects of carrying a miraculous for so long, how it’s magic would start seeping into her life, into her mind, into her bones, and that becoming Guardian was going to accelerate that timeline dramatically. 

The day after the miraculous had been left to her Marinette felt a change in what she was doing. At home, her small but mighty collection of plants shot up impossibly fast, growing into her apartment somehow, and it was all she could do to resist the sudden urge to snack on some of her flowers. Her mind was sharper all the time, with the razor-sharp instincts and attention to surroundings that she usually only saw in battle turning on constantly. 

And now her back was starting to hurt. 

She was curled up on her roof, Tikki and Wayzz and Sass and Mullo anxiously circling her and trying to give advice but she had never felt so alone – what was the good of leading a group of heroes if she was so isolated she couldn’t ask for help – and she felt something ripping out of her, the pain and urgency she felt daily suffocating her, creating a disgusting and pervasive claustrophobia crashing over her and she wanted out-

Something tore out of her back and she screamed and she got up, beyond listening to the desperate cries of Tikki to just calm down and all she felt was pain and she staggered to the roof, filled with the blinding emptiness and need to escape and she tumbled over.

She felt the wind on her face and she felt free – just for a moment – but then the reality of her situation crashed over her and she realized she was falling and this time she didn’t have a back-up plan and then-

All of a sudden, she wasn’t falling, she was flying. 

Wings ripped free from her back, her very human – untransformed – back and she didn’t even have time to think about it – the implications of her body changing in such a fundamental, horrific way – because this was the first time in nearly three years that she wasn’t crushed by the pressure and responsibility of her power, but rather felt freed by the miraculous.


	2. letting go

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll be posting these about once a day after this! Leave a comment to let me know what you think :)

“Don’t tell anyone your identity.”

“Avoid close relationships.”

“Abandon your material possessions.”

“Your sole focus should be your Guardian duties.”

Yeah, screw that.

Master Fu had all these rules but even if the kwami supported them – which Marinette didn’t think they did – he was gone now, had forsaken these core principles to run away with some woman from his past.

Marinette was the Guardian now, and she had more than earned the right to make some changes.

First things first: she needs to tell her partner, her closest friend and longest ally, something he deserved to know from the very start.

She calls a meeting with Chat Noir and tells him she’s ready to reveal her identity, and that she’d like to know his if he’s comfortable. 

He says of course and after they reveal, there’s no awkward pause or new confession of love like Marinette had feared- he just hugs her, tells her he’s sorry he wasn’t there for her, promises he’ll never leave her alone again.

She holds him tightly, quiet tears rolling down her face, and promises she won’t keep secrets from him ever again.

There are other things they’ll have to talk about eventually – they’ll need to reveal themselves to the rest of their team, discuss Master Fu and the extent of Marinette’s duties as Guardian – but all that matters right now is that they’ll commit to being there for one another.


	3. vacation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> prompt no.3! I have a lot of these written so I might start posting more than one a day soon, I've just been trying to edit them briefly to make sure they're okay first. let me know what you think!

All the permanent heroes are together for some mandatory team bonding, Guardian’s orders.

Adrien and Marinette are there, of course, as the black cat and ladybug, but so are the others: Nino, the turtle; Alya, the fox; and Chloe, the bee. 

Hawkmoth had sent out a brutal akuma the same day they had given out the miraculouses for good and Adrien and Marinette agreed that a little break was long overdue. 

They used Kaalki to transport them to Los Angeles and go straight to the beaches. Everyone but Marinette put on their swimsuits – Chloe in a bikini, Adrien and Nino in swim trucks, Alya in a tankini – but Marinette keeps a hoodie on over her swim shorts, refusing to jump into the water.

“Hey girl, aren’t you gonna swim?” Alya asks.

“Still thinking about it,” Marinette replies, smiling. “I might just sit in the sand and watch.”

“Sounds good, dudette, have fun,” Nino says, following Adrien and Alya out to the water.

She glances over, seeing Chloe staying next to her. “Aren’t you going with the others?”

Chloe crinkles her nose, throwing her ponytail over her shoulder. “Absolutely not. I am here to lay out and tan. Did you bring a speaker?”

“Of course,” Marinette answers, holding it up. “What do you want to listen to?”

“Have any 80s power ballads?”

Marinette grins, scrolling through her phone and choosing her road trip playlist. “Is that even a question?”

The two girls find higher ground, then lay out their towels and zen out, listening to the uplifting music of Queen, uninterrupted- that is, until the others grow bored and realize they still haven’t joined in on swimming.

“Hey, guys, come on over, the water’s fine!” Alya calls out, splashing water in their direction.

“No thanks, we’re good over here,” Chloe answers, rolling over so she can tan her back.

Marinette hears them talking in the distance, laughing together, but blocks it out in favor of listening to her soundtrack.

She sits up, sputtering, a minute later as ice-cold seawater is thrown on her. She shrieks, high-pitched and wordless, climbing to her feet as the others run away cackling.

“I cannot believe you all just did this,” she yells after them, abandoning Chloe where she had scooted away to avoid the same fate. “I’m coming after you now!”

They cheer as she rips off her hoodie, revealing the ladybug patterned two-piece underneath, and flares her wings underneath, jumping into the air to throw herself into the water between them all.

She bursts out, exhilarated, and grins freely at her friends.

They stare in shock for a moment, focused on her spotted ladybug wings, then cheer for her again.

“Good one, dudette!”

“Those are so cool!”

“Great cannonball!”

“Your wings look amazing!”

Chloe joins them in the water and Marinette laughs, feeling weightless with her friends around her.

She pulls them in for a group hug, holding them tightly with Adrien’s support, and thinks how lucky she is.


	4. dough

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hope y'all enjoy this! I thought this chapter turned out nicely :)

It’s the anniversary of her parent’s death today and Marinette feels a heavy weight on her chest, suffocating and encompassing. 

She doesn’t know what to do, how to honor them, and she doesn’t quite want to be alone but she definitely doesn’t feel ready to be around others right now.

She messages Adrien, tells him she’ll be unavailable for the day, and he tells her he understands, that he’ll let the others know.

She feels grateful to have him as a partner, knows she’s indescribably lucky someone who knows her inside and out without her having to say anything else or provide any details.

Eventually, she makes her way to the bakery – it’s been unoccupied for the past year, the business shut down, but the deed has stayed in her name despite her disappearance – and unlocks the door. 

Everything is still there, just as she’d left it – the ovens, display cases, supplies – but now it’s covered in a fine layer of dust. Every step she takes inside disturbs it but she keeps going anyways.

She makes her way upstairs, slowly, turning on the lights as she goes. All her design work, her mannequins and sketchbooks and sewing machine, is still there and even though she hasn’t felt creative for a long time, she feels happy to know it still exists in her absence. 

She lays there for a moment, on the floor, embracing the familiarity of her carpet and the nostalgia of this simpler time, before she gets up.

It’s hard to stay still, in the same place, sometimes. 

It barely takes a moment to find their supply closet, to take out a broom and dustpan, and she sets to work.

Cleaning what she can – surface level things, for now, but it’s a start – takes a few hours longer than she’d thought, but it feels right to pay respect to her childhood home like this. Her parents wouldn’t have wanted to see it be abandoned, fall into disrepair, and even though she’s failed them so thoroughly in the past she can still do this for them.

Slowly, nervously, she makes her way through the newly cleaned kitchen and looks through the drawers. It’s all still there, after a year, and she smiles sadly. 

She goes to her bags; Adrien had encouraged her to grab supplies just in case and she feels grateful now. She pulls out sugar, butter, flour, and a few other things, laying them out on the counter and rolling up her sleeves.

She knows these recipes by heart; even after such a long break, it’s second nature.

It’s illogical, she knows, but she can almost feel her mother guiding her hands as she mixes the batter, her father reminding her of the best way to place it on the cookie sheet to get the perfect shape.

She’s a different girl than they knew, more serious and focused than they had ever seen her. She feels unrecognizable most of the time, the chasm between her and the family that had been stolen from her unbearably wide, but as she bakes, she remembers who she is.

The next day, she shows up to their group patrol with a box of baked goods. She watches them fight over the last cookie, smiling and laughing as they get powdered sugar from her lemon bars all over their fingers and mouths, and she feels the weight on her chest lift just a little.

She thinks her parents would be proud of her, even now.


	5. babysitter

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> concept: customer service jobs are the worst 
> 
> anyways, enjoy the chapter and let me know what y'all think!

Marinette wakes up to seventeen missed calls on her phone.

They’re all from Alya, and she’s listening to the first few voicemails – each one growing more desperate in tone – when she gets a new call.

“Oh my god, Marinette, thank god you picked up! I’ve got a serious emergency and I need your help.”

“What can I do?” She’s in full superhero mode, serious and ready to deal with whatever comes her away.

“We had a huge bug infestation and our apartment is being fumigated, my parents were able to stay with their friends but they didn’t have room for me or my siblings and I told them I had a place in mind but I don’t and now it’s just me with the twins-” 

This…was not what Marinette was expecting, but she’s the Guardian and has a responsibility to help every holder under her protection. She thinks to how crazy, how disastrous Alya’s little sisters are, but takes a deep breath and steels herself to do what she must.

“You could stay at the bakery for the weekend? It’s empty and is stocked with plenty of food, of course, plus there’s plenty to do and explore.”

“Thank you so much, Mari, you’re a total lifesaver, I’ll stay with you to help out of course- We’ll be there in two minutes!”

“Two minutes? What-” Alya already hung up. “Shoot,” Marinette muttered, rolling over in her bed. She closes her eyes for a moment, trying to wake up all the way now that the immediate threat is over, then realizes what she just agreed to. “Shoot!”

This would be her greatest challenge as Guardian yet. 

72 hours later

“Never again, Alya, I can’t do it,” Marinette whispered as they struggled to push the twins out the door. There’s pie filling all over the walls and Marinette’s been doused with so much red food coloring she looks like a murder victim.

Alya turns to her solemnly, her clothes ripped and her face covered in powdered sugar. She grabs her hands, leaning towards her, tears streaming down her face. “I’m so sorry, Marinette. Words will never be enough… I am so sorry.”

Marinette stares warily at the two twins next to Alya. She leans in closely, whispering as quietly as she can so the demon kids don’t hear. “We can never speak of this again, okay?”

“I agree completely,” Alya whispers back, before the twins drag her away.

Marinette watches them with sad eyes. “Godspeed, my friend.”


	6. double life

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> lmao this fic has no plot
> 
> I feel like it should have a plot
> 
> some over-arching theme
> 
> anyways lemme know what you think and i hope you have an awesome day !!

Moving in together had seemed like the perfect idea for a good week before things slowly fell apart.

Initially, they had planned to use Marinette’s inheritance from her parents, Adrien’s savings from his work as a model, and Chloe’s trust fund to pay for rent and expenses, but this collapsed almost instantly.

Marinette – with the other two’s support – had decided to invest her money into renovating and reopening the bakery, a long-term project that would double as providing a secondary home for their team. 

On it’s own, this loss of income was insignificant, but circumstances soon changed this. Chloe and Adrien’s parents cut them off from their money just a month after they had moved out, and, already being three months paid and having signed a one-year guaranteed lease on their apartment, this left them in a tight spot. 

They needed a cash influx, and fast.

Ever practical, Marinette quickly suggested they all get jobs- surely, with the three of them working, they’d be able to afford this place?

Sadly, this was another plan that was better in theory than in practice: between their lack of experience, age, and inconsistent schedules due to having to fight akumas, they struggled to find good work.

Still, where there’s a will there’s a way, and the three of them were determined to figure this out.

\-----

Two months, seven failed delivery jobs, two botched fast food opportunities, and four humiliating tourism ventures later, they had finally found a way to afford their apartment. 

Marinette had managed to pin down a job at a popular retailer, working as a cashier and sales attendant, providing them with steady, dependable income. In her free time, she had managed to revitalize her old fashion blog, transforming it to offer commissions in order to bring in additional cash bursts.

Chloe got hired at an upscale boutique that catered to wealthier clientele, bringing in massive paychecks and consistent bonuses.

Finally, Adrien was able to reconnect with his old modeling industry contacts that had raved about his talent and kindness independent of his father and was able to maintain his career on his own terms.

Lying exhausted in their new apartment that they could officially keep, Marinette reflected on the many costs to trying to lead a double life.

She smiled as Adrien and Chloe walked in and joined her, equally worn out, and knew it was all worthwhile in the end: the benefit would always outweigh whatever she had to give.


	7. memes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> does this chapter make it clear i do not understand memes? probably
> 
> anyways, enjoy and have a great day!

“Hey guys…I’ve found out something serious about Marinette.”

Alya had gathered the others around, excluding Marinette, and had refused to tell them what the meeting was about- only stating that it was critical and of the utmost importance to them all. 

“Is she okay?” Adrien asked, leaning forward. Nino and Chloe looked on intently, visibly concerned for their friend- they all knew what a hard time she had had recently and were determined to support her however they could. “I thought she was doing well; she hasn’t mentioned anything to me about having a rough week for a while and I-”

Alya brushed him off. “She’s fine, Sunshine, but I found out something much more damning.” She waited a moment, let the suspense build, then spoke. “Marinette doesn’t understand memes.”

They all stared at her. Nino blinked first, then ran a hand over his face and sighed. “What? That doesn’t matter, Als, are you serious?”

She shook her head at them, disappointed at their lack of creativity. “You don’t get it. Marinette has been absurdly obsessed with this Guardian and miraculous business for the better part of a year, she doesn’t get any references. This leaves us with a solemn and important duty.”

Chloe got it first, grinning. “Obviously this means it’s our job to educate her.”

Nino groaned again, exasperated. “The dudette doesn’t care about stuff like this, she won’t care about it. This is a lost cause, sorry babe.”

“No, think about it,” Chloe broke in, laughing maniacally. “She’s determined to be a good Guardian. That includes team building and making an effort to understand our interests! It’s all about how we present it, she’ll totally go for it.”

Adrien smiles, nodding slowly. “This could work…and be the best thing we’ve ever accomplished as a team.”

\-----  
The team had, of course, miscalculated greatly when they introduced Marinette to memes. 

They had failed to account for the simple fact that she had never done things by halves, always going above and beyond, and now all they could feel was regret.

It had been fun at first, showing her Vine compilations and making her scroll through the internet to educate herself on this vital content, but now, she just would not stop quoting Vines at them. 

But now? It was getting embarrassing to take her anywhere.

\-----

It all started when she used the horse miraculous to take them to a restaurant in America.

In retrospect, they should’ve known something was amiss when she refused to tell them where they were going, but they had foolishly accepted her word when she told them it was a surprise.

They all stared in shock as she deposited them by a familiar looking chain restaurant, smiled at them proudly, and proclaimed “Hi, welcome to Chili’s!”

\-----

After this incident, things progressed quickly.

She walked in on Adrien and Nino sitting on opposite ends of a coach after a long patrol and jumped in the space between them, screeching in their ears “Two bros, chillin’ in a hot tub, 5 feet apart cause they’re not gay!”

Chloe took her on a ride through the countryside and struggled to hold her tongue as Marinette rolled down the window and shouted “Road work ahead? Uh, yea, I sure hope it does!” at every single construction sign they passed.

During a press conference, Alya witnessed Marinette, transformed as Ladybug, call out “Chris, is that a weed?” when an annoying reporter stuck a microphone in her face. It didn’t even make sense…but at this point, there was no correcting her.

The whole team was growing resigned to what they had done to their brilliant leader, too tired to even try to stop her as she jumped on a rampaging akuma’s back, took a selfie, and screamed “Do it for the vine!” as she struggled to get out of striking range.

\-----

The worst was when they ran into Hawkmoth during a battle. 

He had come up behind Marinette, sneaking towards her earrings, but they called out before he could get there, letting her turn to see him.

She smiled at him, sweet as sugar, and they all winced, terrified of what could come next. “I’m sorry I didn’t see you there. I was too busy blocking out the haters.”

Hawkmoth ran off, chased off by the sound of laughter from Parisian onlookers. They huddled together in shame, defeated and humiliated. 

“I’m so sorry,” Alya whispered, hanging her head. “What have we done?”

They almost don’t notice Marinette walk up behind them, and they turn too slowly to stop her from speaking. 

“Do you think God stays in heaven because he too lives in fear of what he’s created?”


	8. goodbyes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> poor adrien, i totally sympathize with how much work can suck
> 
> anyways hope y'all are having a stellar day !!!

Marinette watches Adrien slump onto the coach next to them, burying his face in his shoulder as he lets out a quiet whine. 

Chloe grimaces, side-eyeing them, and looks over at Marinette, who looks equally displeased. “Adri-kins. Sunshine child. What on earth are you doing?”

He glances up at them, mournfully, and pitifully whines again. “I don’t want to go to work today. Do you think I could call in sick?”

They look at him, dressed in khaki and a company polo, and cast their judgement without remorse. Marinette delivers the verdict. 

“Sorry, Adrien. You’ve got to go in today. We made an agreement about splitting rent, we’ve each got to earn our due here.” He whines again, louder, and puts his face back into Marinette’s shirt. “Besides, Chloe and I have important work to do today. We can’t have you around the apartment at all if we’re going to get it done.”

“Really?” He asks, not wanting be distrustful but still doubtful of this sudden excuse.

Chloe nods soothingly. “We can’t reschedule, you’ve got to go. Our really important secret task has to get done today, you understand, right?”

He whines one last time, forcing himself back into a standing position, and stares at them. “Okay. If you guys really need me to work today, I guess I’ll drag myself through it.”

Marinette thinks the way he slowly ambles to the door resembles Eeyore.

They wait until he leaves before collapsing into giggles.

“Important work to do today? What exactly would that be, Mari?” Chloe says, gasping for air.

Marinette does her best to keep a straight face as she answers as solemnly as possible. “It’s absolutely imperative that we watch the new season of Queer Eye before Alya does.”

Chloe grins at her, watching her grab the remote to turn the tv on. “Competitive team-building?”

Marinette smiles back at her, grabbing a blanket to throw over the two of them. “Definitely counts as competitive team-building.”


	9. uncle jagged

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> it's the weekend!!! yay!!!
> 
> hope y'all are having an delightful day and wonderful weekend :) 
> 
> lemme know what you think of the chapter lol

After Marinette restarted her fashion blog and opened it to commissions, she had planned on things slowly developing. It would take time to rebuild her presence in the fashion world and reestablish herself.

She wasn’t expecting to immediately receive a huge rush request for a leather jacket in the first week from an anonymous buyer- her luck almost seemed too good to be true, but she didn’t want to question it.

The following week, she spent hours, days in the bakery with her sewing machine, going through old patterns and hunting down materials so it’d be ready at the end of the week.

It was a bit of a hassle, sure, but the client offered to pay triple Marinette’s usual rate due to the short notice, and an extra cash boost was always beneficial to making sure she, Adrien, and Chloe made rent.

The buyer arranged a time and location for her to drop it off, which was fairly suspicious, but Marinette went in prepared with her earrings.

Even so, she wasn’t ready to see who they were.

It was Penny and Jagged, two prominent figures from her teenage years, waiting for her in a nondescript hipster coffee shop, tears in their eyes and an envelope of cash.

She was tough, stronger than she had been before, but she wasn’t immune to getting emotional while receiving a hug from some key parental figures.

They broke down together, all getting into his car to go to his apartment in Paris so they could talk privately, and Marinette did her best to assure them she was safe after dropping off the map after her parents died.

She didn’t know what to say when they told her they had been ready and willing to adopt her, if only she had stuck around for a while longer- but regrets were a common part of her life at this point.

She hugged them again, tightly, telling them she didn’t know when she’d be able to see them again, but they all promised to keep in touch. 

She did her best to act like it didn’t hurt, tear at her heart, and she held back quiet tears when they told her they’d keep an eye on her, be accessible to her whenever she needed.

It was good to remember she always had people on her side.


	10. alter egos

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> happy father's day! hope y'all are having a good one
> 
> like and comment if you like it :)

The others had all noticed that Marinette was way too overworked and stressed, all of the time, but none of them knew how to broach the subject with her. 

Instead, they tried to ease her burden by stepping in when they could, doing chores and picking up slack during battles, but it still doesn’t seem to be enough. 

It’s time to step it up and the perfect opportunity is right around the corner: Halloween. 

The team manages to convince her to pull out Kaalki and bring them to the United States in order to go to a low-key party Chloe saw a friend post about online.

Marinette eventually agrees to take the majority of the week off work, and she helps organize each of their (themed, of course) costumes: Adrien as a black cat complete with a headband with fuzzy ears and tail, Chloe as a bee with springy antenna and a stinger, Alya as a fox with a bushy tail and tall ears, and Nino as a turtle with a green shell strapped to his back. 

She dresses as a ladybug, wearing a red and black spotted dress with a cutout just big enough for her wings. 

Once they arrive, people come by in droves to compliment her outfit, telling her that she’s adorable and her wings look incredibly realistic, did she make them herself? She smiles and networks, chatting everyone up and returning the kind words in abundance.

The others leave her, seeing her relax, and go enjoy themselves, indulging in drinks and music and dancing, and reconvene after a few hours.

They soon realize they’ve lost track of Marinette and split up to search for her.

Adrien finds her on the rooftop, sitting alone, a water cup in her hand.

“Hey, bug,” he asks, alerting her to his presence as he approaches. “I thought you were having a good night?”

She turns to him and smiles, patting the ground next to her. “Hi, Kitty. I was- I am having fun. This was- a nice thing of you guys to do.”

He raises an eyebrow. “We weren’t-”

“I know what you were trying to do, and I appreciate the gesture,” she interjects, voice gentle. “It’s just…do you ever get tired of dressing up?”

“What do you mean?” He sits down next to her, leaning against her.

She sighs and looks down. “I get tired, sometimes, of pretending to be someone I’m not all the time. It’s exhausting and I feel like I keep losing out on things- take tonight, for instance. We’re here to have fun, hang out with people our age, but I couldn’t stop watching all the exits.” She slumps, shoulders falling just slightly from the perfect posture she always maintains, and gestures haplessly at her back. “I can’t even have my wings out like normal.

“I don’t mean to kill your buzz, Adrien,” she says somberly, throwing her arm over his shoulders. “You guys still deserve to go out and have fun. I just think it might be too late for me. I try so hard to be someone better – someone who can have fun and go to parties – but even in a party dress, I’m just myself.

“Oh, Buginette,” he whispers into her hair. “You might be dressed up, look a little different, but your inside’s the same. That’s the important part, the only part we care about.”

She leans away, looking carefully into his eyes. “You mean that?”

“Of course,” he answers readily. He kisses the top of her head, softly, and stands, pulling her up with him. “Time to head back inside?”

She grins, a little teary but still overpoweringly bright. “Ready when you are, partner.”


	11. games

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> posting this quick before i go to work lol
> 
> enjoy and have a fantabulous day!

It’s the middle of the night and Hawkmoth created an akuma out of a stressed teenager panicking about their finals- needless to say, Marinette was unimpressed.

The akuma was called Easy A, had a colorful backpack filled with different study materials, and kept trapping Marinette, Chloe, and Adrien in a series of study activities that they could only escape by getting the right answers.

Marinette was trying to keep it together, keep things light to encourage her teammates, but the akuma just kept throwing giant flashcards at them and forcing them into games of study jeopardy and Marinette was just so –

Tired.

It was 3 am, sure, but it was more than that.

She was angry at Hawkmoth, how he had derailed her entire life and hurt her friends and made her lose her family, and now he’s creating akuma that don’t even actively try to take her earrings, but are just an inconvenience?

It just wasn’t fair.

They get separated by the akuma, divided by giant last-minute study packets, and Marinette punches at the sturdy paper angrily, cursing at it.

The akuma finally drops into her section, holding Adrien’s ring and Chloe’s comb in her hands, and Marinette grins viciously, tightening her pigtails.

She watches the akuma pause, uncertain and her smile grows- Good, Marinette thinks, she should be scared.

Marinette pulls out her yoyo, swinging it in carefully calculated arcs, and begins stalking towards the frozen akuma.

“Hawkmoth’s watching this?” She asks, voice steel. The akuma nods and Marinette begins to circle her. “Good. I’ve been Ladybug for quite a few years now, and that may not seem significant to you but it is to me, and you’ve been trying to ruin my life for that entire time. Now, I may not know who or where you are, but this?” 

She gestures wildly to her makeshift prison, then grabs the straps of the akuma’s backpack, holding on tightly.

“This is unacceptable. People’s lives – my life – isn’t a game and I refuse to let you treat it like one. I am going to find you, Hawkmoth, and I am going to hurt you.”

The butterfly mask begins flashing over the akuma’s face, frantic, but Marinette doesn’t let up for even a moment.

“I am going to figure out who you are and destroy your life like you destroyed mine. I’m going to share your identity and put you in prison because whatever you hope to accomplish with my miraculous is a lie.”

She grabs the black cat ring and bee comb out of the startled akuma’s hands, pocketing them in her yoyo, then cleanly tears the akuma’s backpack strap, releasing the butterfly.

She cleanses it, quickly, watching as the study card trap she’s in dissolves, and comforts the shaking girl before her, trying to push down her anger in favor of protecting an innocent.

One way or another, this will all be over soon. She’s sure of it.

She doesn’t have another choice.


	12. kwami mom

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> do people like these?
> 
> anyways, hope everyone is having an amazingly awesome day !! almost made it through june :)

“Alright, sweethearts, the others are out so it’s just me to hang out with!”

Marinette had transformed her entire balcony into the ultimate blanket fort: she had sheets hanging from every ledge, safety pinned to one another, to create a wide cave low to the ground. Thick comforters covered the ground and fluffy pillows were laid against every wall.

Her kwami were laid out around the room, swaddled and content beyond belief in their Guardian’s presence, but they rallied for her.

“What are we planning to do, Miss Marinette?” Pollen asks primly. She’s tucked in next to Tikki, Mullo, and Fluff, all snuggling on a pastel pink faux fur pillow. 

Sass looks up from his perch on a small houseplant Marinette had placed inside the fort. Wayzz and Longg sit next to him. “Pleassse tell me we’re going to sssee a movie, Missstresss.”

“Oh my goodness, Mare-Bear, we’ve got to watch that one with the brothers and the magic stick!” Xuppu shouts out, excited.

Next to him, Barkk rolls over onto his back. “Can we please?” Roarr growls his affirmation from the same blanket.

Kaalki scoffs, tucked in on a large body pillow at the edge of the fort. Ziggy, Daizzi, Orikko, and Stompp sit around him, all passed out already. “Plebians,” he mutters, tone scalding.

“Now, now, let’s all get along, everybody,” Marinette interjects, beaming at her pals. Their hearts soar at the sight of her, overjoyed at the uncharacteristic show of unabashed joy.

Surprisingly, Plagg is the one to chime in next, curled up on Marinette’s shoulder next to Trixx, both purring up a storm. “It doesn’t matter what we watch. I’m content to just cuddle.”

“Ooh, Plagg,” Marinette coos, running a finger down the top of his head. His eyes slide shut, thoroughly content. “You’re too cute!”

Mullo lifts their head from their pillow. “That movie Xuppu mentioned sounded good- I think it’s called Onward,” they squeak.

Kaalki clears his throat, purposefully avoiding eye contact. “That sounds…amenable.”

Marinette grins at them, looking across the room, and grabs the remote. “Sounds like a plan!”


	13. domestic

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> plz leave kudos and comment if you enjoyed this!
> 
> As always, I hope you're having a wonderful day

“Milady?”

Marinette looks over and immediately wishes she hadn’t- Adrien is giving her his best kitty eyes.

“Uwu, bug,” he whines, draping himself dramatically over their couch. 

She glares at him, unimpressed. “Yes?”

“I need a huge favor from you and I’d owe you so bad if you did this, you’d be my absolute favorite person!”

“I’m not your favorite person already?”

He startles and dials his kitty eyes up to an impressive 11. Marinette might be in trouble. “Of course I didn’t mean it like that, Milady! I just meant you’d be more of my favorite person, uwu!”

She drags a hand over her face. She knows she’s already lost, but she has to at least try to put up a fight. “You’ve got to stop saying that, Kitty, it’s not cute.” He starts to open his mouth again and she cuts him off. “No! I mean it, I’m not helping you unless you stop saying that. Chloe hates it too.”

He drops his face, now flashing her heartbroken kitty eyes, which is just really not fair. “So you’ll help me out then?”

“Obviously I am,” she answers softly despite her annoyance. “What do you need?”

She watches all traces of sadness and neediness vanish from his expression in an instant, but she didn’t really expect anything else. He grins at her, blindingly bright. “You’re the best, Mari! And don’t worry, it’s nothing crazy- just dinner with my dad!”

He runs out the room and she’s left staring after him, jaw dropped. “Dinner with- Dinner with Gabriel Agreste? Adrien!”

\-------

They stand outside the mansion – more like Adrien’s childhood prison – and Marinette nervously smooths down her dress once more.

“Stop that,” Adrien whispers to her while they wait for someone to come open the door. “You look lovely. It’ll be fine.”

She bats him lightly on the arm. “You don’t know that, Adrien! He’s a world-famous fashion designer with a multi-million-dollar brand. I don’t even know why you wanted me for this- Chloe’s met the man before. “

The door opens and they’re ushered inside. He grabs her coat to hang up in the entryway and he leans close while he takes it off, speaking softly into her ear. “You’ll do great. Everyone loves you.” She glares at him as he pulls away and he just laughs lightly. “Also, Chloe was busy.”

She seethes, following him silently into the dining room, and then freezes. It’s somehow more and less awkward than she had been prepared for. The long table is set for three, a gaping distance between Gabriel’s place at the head of the table and the two spots set for Adrien and Marinette on the other end. 

A server stands next to the table and the whole room radiates a quiet, yet heavy tension.

“Adrien,” Gabriel begins once they’re seated. “Thank you for coming to see me. It’s nice to know even though you’ve moved out, you’re still willing to be reasonable.”

Adrien smiles tightly. “We both know I learned how to be reasonable from you.”

“Indeed,” Gabriel answers before looking down at his dinner. They’ve served steak. “I see you’ve brought a friend?”

“Yes, I did,” Adrien’s voice is uncharacteristically cold. Marinette busies herself by starting to eat- if she has to be here at an awful dinner with her former idol that he clearly didn’t know she was coming to, she’s going to get a five star meal out of it. “Marinette Dupain-Cheng. An up-and-coming designer.”

Marinette can feel Gabriel’s gaze shift to her and she studiously avoids eye contact. “I see. One of the friends who encouraged you to abandon your father and home is a nobody in the fashion industry looking for contacts? Seems likely.”

“Father, you’re out of line,” Adrien snarls back. Marinette reaches out, lightly puts her hand on his arm under the table, and he settles. “I think proper manners dictate you should be more polite to your guests.”

“It’s fine, Adrien,” she cuts in. She levels a calculated smile at Gabriel. “We were friends in school, and decided to take this opportunity to branch out together. I believe we met when I independently won a design contest, held and judged by you, when I was very young. It was a derby hat.”

Gabriel doesn’t even pretend to smile back. “I think I remember that. Pigeon feathers, yes? Such a pedestrian bird. I assume you made your own dress tonight.” She nods and he continues. “It was easy to tell- it’s fine craftsmanship for a beginner without any real resources, I suppose.”

She may have calmed Adrien down, but he’s still angry under the surface. “You don’t have to explain yourself or answer that, Mari,” he says loudly, standing up. “In fact, I think we were just leaving.”

Gabriel stands with them quickly, and he seems to loom over them, even from the other end of the table. “I didn’t say you could leave, Adrien. We’re not done talking.”

He grabs Marinette and pulls her out, grabbing her coat as Gabriel stalks behind them, keeping pace. “I think we are.”

“I wanted to speak to you about something concerning your mother. Adrien, we agreed-” Gabriel begins.

“No, I agreed I would try seeing you again. It clearly didn’t work out. See you around, father.” He pulls her out the door and holds onto her arm, breathing heavily.

Marinette stops him once they’re a ways away and are sure Gabriel isn’t following them. “Are you alright?”

He sighs, burying his face in his hands as he turns to face her. “I’m so sorry about that, bug. It’s just- he couldn’t even get through one dinner with me without insulting me and you and-”

She sees him start to hyperventilate, gesturing wildly, so she pulls him into a tight hug. “It’s alright, Adrien. I’m just really sorry you have to deal with him all the time.”

“Heh. Right,” He mutters into her shoulder.

She leans back and smiles at him. “Hey, I bet Chloe’s off work. Want to pick out some ice cream and watch some movies tonight?”

“That sounds perfect,” he says softly, grinning so softly and genuinely it makes Marinette’s heart soar. “I’m really glad I have you, Milady.”

She smirks back at him. “You’ll always have me, kitty.”


	14. compass

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i am...craving cereal. my brother recently got a bunch of coco puffs...
> 
> anyways have an awesome day !!!!!

“Do you ever feel like you’ve derailed your entire life for nothing and that you’re working towards something abstract that doesn’t even matter anymore?”

Adrien stares at her, mouth open, hand frozen with a spoon full of milk and cereal. “Jesus, Bug, are you okay?”

Marinette just slumps in her chair, pushing at the Cheerios in her own bowl. “It’s fine.”

“It’s clearly not,” Adrien replies, taking a bite- he prefers Captain Crunch, which Marinette would argue shouldn’t be counted as a breakfast cereal, since it’s complete sugar. At least hers is heart healthy! “Should we talk about it?”

“Probably, kitty, but I’m not even sure how to go about it.” Marinette isolates a single, soggy Cheerio in her dish, and cleanly slices it with her spoon.

He studies her and Marinette tries to ignore him as he attempts to analyze her. “Um…working towards something abstract? As in, fighting Hawkmoth?”

Marinette stands. “This was a bad idea.”

“No, Bug, we should talk about this- if only so our team leader isn’t all out of sorts.” She glares at him, unimpressed, and he smiles weakly at her. “Please?”

“Kitty- I just feel like we’ve made such little progress since I became Guardian. I’m still just barely brushing the surface of the kwami’s abilities but we need more to be effective. You guys are all working, doing things, and I’m trying to help but I feel like I’m just treading water.”

He nods at her, quickly, before lifting his bowl and drinking the last bits of milk from it. He sets it down and wipes the milk mustache with his sleeve, then smiles at her. “First off, that’s absurd. You’re a fantastic Guardian- no, don’t interrupt me, it’s true. Second, your pace is fine. We wouldn’t be able to adapt to anything new faster than the current rate, anyways, so the point is really moot. Third and finally, let’s do something about it.”

She frowns at him. “Do something about Hawkmoth? That’s my whole point, I’m not sure-”

“As much as you teach us, Mari, this whole team has a lot to offer. Chloe is trained in politics and management techniques, that could help with your concerns about being a good Guardian.”

“Adrien, I don’t think this could really help-” She tries, but he stops her again.

“Let me finish. Alya is a genius investigator, you two combined should take some time to look into clues and try to figure out some way to track him or learn more about him- there’s no way he hasn’t dropped any information on accident.

“Nino’s like, really chill.” Adrien says and Marinette snorts. There are tears in her eyes, but the happy kind. “Seriously, though, he can help you meditate. Even if it doesn’t directly help the cause, it’ll help you, and that’s important too.”

It’s all Marinette can do to stop herself from leaping across the table to hug him tight- he’s far too good to her. “What about you, kitty cat? You bringing anything to the table?”

He grins at her roguishly. “You know it. I’m an expert at fencing, I’ll teach you how to do that and sword fight. Some extra combat training never hurts.”

“Kitty,” Marinette starts, her smile so big it crinkles her eyes. “Adrien, this is so kind of you. I- I really appreciate it.”

“Anything for you, Bug,” he answers. “Even if we’re not seeing results, you just got to remember we’re still moving forward, making progress. We’ve still got a direction if you take a second to look.” He smiles at her, unbelievably tender, then looks down at her half-eaten bowl of cereal. “You can start by finishing your Cheerios.”

She laughs, light and happy, then tucks in. She can’t let them go to waste- they’re honey-roasted, after all.


	15. ultimate power

Marinette feels tingly, her arms both weighted down with some unknowable force and lightened, lifted up. She puts her hand in front of her face and giggles at the shape of her fingers.

Beside her, Nino laughs, slow and hearty. “Good weed, yeah?”

“Yeahhhh,” she whispers, dragging out the word. It feels good on her tongue- she’s never realized how good words can be.

“You guys are acting weird,” Adrien says, snorting at them. He’s still in a cuddle pile with them, regardless of perceived soberness or not.

Nino frowns at him, slightly, but it’s hard to control his muscles enough to hold a facial expression. “Hasn’t hit yet?”

“Nope,” he answers, and they shrug slowly, fading into companionable silence.

“Hey!” Marinette gasps abruptly, sitting up and earning simultaneous groans from the boys next to her. “Wanna know what I was just thinking of?”

“Yes,” Nino gasps in return, grabbing onto her arm and shaking it gently. “What is it, dudette?”

“Did your kwami ever tell you about, like, ultimate power?” She laughs a little, slowly, and she’s running her hand down her face, pulling her eyes open wide.

Adrien nods in response. “Yeah, Plagg mentioned it- it’s part of why we’ve got to protect the cat and ladybug so much. You get some big wish, right?”

“Yeahhh,” she answers, nodding enthusiastically. Adrien moves her hands towards him so he can watch her face. “You get like, any wish.”

“That’s so cool,” Nino adds, and Marinette smiles appreciatively at him.

“Most definitely. But also, like, not?”

She takes a deep breath, trying to gather her thoughts, and Adrien tries not to laugh. “You guys are really high, aren’t you?” He asks them, smirking.

Nino turns to look at him before falling back onto the floor. Marinette follows him, dragging Adrien with her. “No way it hasn’t hit yet, bro.”

“It really hasn’t- oh, shit,” he trails off, eyes wide.

“We got ‘em, boys,” Marinette mutters, prompting another set of giggles from all three of them.

He takes a moment to adjust, embracing the calm washing over him, and looks up at the ceiling. “What would you do if you could make any wish? Like, use the ultimate power?”

“Gushers,” Marinette intones. Her voice is solemn, inviting no discussion, and the boys can do nothing but nod in solidarity.

Nino feels his heart grow. “A worthy cause,” he adds.

“What about you, bro?” Adrien asks.

“I think, like,” he trails off for a moment, deep in thought, before coming back. “I’d make the perfect, happiest day for Alya. Cool date, flowers, dinner, everything.”

Marinette and Adrien wheeze together. “Brooo,” Adrien gasps. “That’s, like, so good!” Marinette nods aggressively.

“Or maybe headphones,” he puts in as an afterthought.

Marinette nods again. “That is also very good.”

Adrien feels weightless, his thoughts sluggish but clear. He only has the focus for one direct train of thought at once. “I think I’d wish for a better childhood.” His voice is quiet.

It only takes a moment, but he feels Marinette and Nino shift closer to him, each grabbing one of his hands, and he smiles.

“Hey, why don’t we ever use the wishes? Those seem soooo useful,” Nino says, too loudly, breaking the silence.

Marinette thinks for a moment. “Uh, I think it’s, like, whatever you get happens to someone else, too, but like the opposite?”

Nino sits there, wrapping his head around it. “Shit. That’s tough.”

“Yeah,” Adrien offers. “Hey guys?”

“Hey Adrien?” Marinette responds, looking at him.

“Does getting high make you tired?”

“Not necessarily,” Nino answers, trying to be deliberate with his words. “It can, though. Bro, are you tired?”

He takes a moment to consider it. “Yeah,” Adrien decides.

“It’s also, like, 3am,” Marinette adds.

“Woah,” Adrien says. “Should we go to bed?”

“Probably,” Nino mutters.

“Let’s do it,” Marinette says firmly.

They all fade back almost instantly, waking up too few hours later when Alya and Chloe return to the apartment and ream them out.

They look at each other, still piled on top of one another, and smile. Worth it.


	16. friends

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i've got to get up earlier to post these before i go to work haha
> 
> anyways, enjoy and have a great night!

“Hey guys!” Marinette yells, running into the bakery where she’s gathered her friends. “Guess what!”

They all stare at her dubiously, above whatever mystery surprise she’s dragged them here for, but Adrien clearly is in on it and replies with equal enthusiasm. 

“Oh my gosh! What!” He says, too loudly, throwing his hands out dramatically.

Marinette pulls five matching beaded bracelets out of her pocket and grins. “Friendship bracelets!”

Adrien claps excitedly in mock surprise. “Woah, that’s so cool! One for each of us?”

“Yup,” she answers, passing them out. “It’s cause we’re all besties!” 

Chloe scoffs, looking down at the homemade gift in front of her, poking at the numerous bee themed charms on it. “I refuse to wear this.”

“Hate to agree with you, Chloe, but I agree,” Alya adds, crinkling her nose at her own fox themed gift. “These are tacky.”

“You’re…” Adrien sniffles for dramatic effect and blasts them both with his kitten eyes. “You’re not going to wear them? Mari and I spent all night on them…”

Nino, ever the trooper, has already put his own on. He displays the turtle bracelet proudly. “It goes great with my miraculous, my dudes. This is awesome.”

Marinette hiccups on command, making a show of rubbing tears out of her dry eyes. “Th-thank you. It’s okay if not everyone wants them, of course…”

She and Adrien stare at Alya and Chloe, beseechingly, until they give in. “Oh, fine,” Chloe mutters, slipping it on. “This isn’t worth the trouble.”

Marinette cheers and Adrien pulls them all into a group hug. “Best friends forever!”


	17. designer

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> lmao i'm posting super late again, so sorry!
> 
> plz enjoy the chapter and have a great night :)

She’s always wearing herself too thin.

She picks up as many shifts as she can to help pay for her and her friend’s living costs, and is out patrolling almost every other night.

She trains every free moment as Ladybug, practicing flying and honing fighting and studying with the kwami.

It’s easy to go through the motions, pretend like everything’s alright, but sometimes it only takes one little nudge to knock it all down. 

Marinette is able to force herself to keep working and act like normal, no matter how tired it made her; but every moment she tries to pick up her sketchbook and design, to go to her sewing machine and start on a piece, she feels a pit form in the bottom of her stomach and her fingers lock. 

Her brain was becoming like a creative vacuum: if she ever took a moment off from working, her body would tell her to rest and sleep. The only problem was she couldn’t let herself do that, and so she was stuck in limbo.

Some nights are harder than others, though: tonight, Marinette sits alone in her old room at her parent’s house, trying to finish repairing a single ripped t-shirt of hers., but she couldn’t even do that much.

“Fuck,” she seethes, trying to calm down the growing tightness in her head- it wouldn’t stop expanding, filling her to the brim with unsaid emotions, and her hands shook. “Fuck!” she shouts into the empty room as the needle pierces her finger and she throws the half-mended garment to the floor.

She falls to the floor beside it, crouched on her hands, and tries to take a deep breath. 

It was everything at once: the anger and frustration from her designing not going well and the grief of what she had lost. 

A single, anguished sob breaches her throat just as she hears footsteps coming up the stairs. Marinette glances up, eyes full of tears, to see Alya climb through the hatch in her floor with a bag of take-out.

Her friend drops the bag and rushes over to her immediately. “Oh, shit Mari, what’s wrong?”

Marinette just shakes her head and trembles- it all seems so pointless now that someone else is here. “Nothing,” she answers eventually.

“Bullshit, Marinette, bullshit,” Alya promptly responds. “No way my most badass friend is crying on her floor over nothing. So tell me: what’s wrong?”

“It’s…” Marinette takes a breath. “I just feel stressed about designing, I guess. No big deal.”

Alya eyes her skeptically. ‘What about designing?”

“Als, it’s hard to explain,” Marinette offers a weak smile. “The main thing is that I don’t know what to do or make. Like at all. Zero inspiration.”

“Is that all?”

Marinette looks up at her through tears. “I left it behind to protect the kwami. I don’t…I gave up whatever chance I had at being something, at following my dream. It’s only fair that it doesn’t work out now, right?”

“That’s not how it works and you know it, Mari.”

She responds with another sob, this one gasping, and Alya takes her hand. 

“Alright, Mare-Bear, here’s what we’re going to do: you are going to get in bed and take a nap for however long I say, because those under-eye bags look real nasty right now. I am going to glance through your commissions and schedule and figure out how you’ll get this stuff done – because you will, for the record – in the meantime. Sound good?”

Marinette smiles at her friend, this time stronger, and lets herself get pulled off the ground. “Sounds great, Als.”


	18. rare pairs

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i am...posting late again. this series is almost over! how wild lol
> 
> have an amazing and fun-filled night! stay happy and healthy !!!

Marinette looks in blank horror at the invitation in front of her.

She looks up, upset, and Chloe just smiles back at her. It’s like she takes pleasure in Marinette’s crisis.

“Do we have to go to this?” she asks, holding up the colorful flyer for a class reunion.

Chloe just smirks at her. “We’re going together.”

“Ugh,” Marinette moans, sinking down the wall to sit on the floor. “Are the others going?”

“Nope,” Chloe says, popping the p. “Adrien has a shoot and Alya said it’s their date night. They probably also just don’t want to go.”

She sighs in resignation. “Fine, Chloe, we’ll do it.” She turns the invitation over, skimming the bright print, and frowns. “When is this?”

Chloe checks her phone for the time. “Like, fifteen minutes.”

“Sorry, what?” Marinette yelps, glancing down at her checkered button down and denim shorts. “I can’t go there like this; I haven’t had time to pick anything- or even design anything!”

“Exactly, Mari,” Chloe says, checking her nails. “This isn’t worth stressing over. I didn’t give you time because I knew you’d lose your mind over it.” Chloe grabs her arm and pulls her out the door, dragging her to the small party. “It’ll be fun to see everyone, I promise.”

“It absolutely won’t be!” Marinette protests, waving her arms wildly. “They haven’t seen me since my parents died, when I just left everything, and now I’m popping back for a reunion? They’re going to think I’m crazy.”

She continues her barrage of complaints as they walk, Chloe dutifully ignoring her, and then suddenly she’s being pulled into a small coffee shop that’s been rented out for the occasion. 

Everyone stares at her, more than a little surprised, and Marinette feels like she’s sinking into the floor, until someone breaks the silence and saves her.

“Oh my gosh, Marinette? I didn’t know you’d be coming- it’s great to see you!” 

Thank goodness for Rose.

Marinette is carted around by Chloe and dutifully makes small talk, catching up with her old friends and loosely telling them what she’s been up to, but she realizes that people are mingling in groups she wasn’t expecting.

She waits thirty minutes before dragging Chloe to the bathroom so she can ask about it.

“Why is everyone paired off weird? I thought I knew everyone’s dynamics. Did everyone get new friends?”

“Huh?” Chloe asks before it clicks. “Oh. They’re all in couples. Like dating each other, Mari. I guess it happened after you left, so you wouldn’t know- it’s a bit of a surprise, but they all work well together, I think.”

Marinette runs her hands through her pigtails, her wings fluttering anxiously beneath her shirt. “Okay. Okay. So, everyone is in a couple?”

“Pretty much.”

She thinks to the groups she had seen form. 

“Sabrina and Kim?”

“A surprisingly wholesome pair. Sabrina’s kind of a jock under her argyle sweater vests- I think she used to work out with her dad.”

“Alix and Mylene?”

“Kind of a bummer when she and Ivan broke up, but these two work way better together. Same vibe of a tough guy and meek damsel, but with way less communication issues.”

“Ivan and Juleka?”

Chloe snorts. “Both strong and silent. Into the same kind of music. I think they like to read books together.”

“Lila and Max?”

“He calls her on her BS…and she seems into it.” Huh. Best not to read into that.

“Rose and Nathaniel?” The last sudden couple.

“They’re both sweethearts, honestly. Plus, Rose validates the hell out of all his artwork. Seems to work well.”

“I…feel like I’ve missed so much of their lives.” Marinette mumbles, trying to reconcile how much these people she grew up with changed while she was gone.

Chloe wraps her arm around her. “Oh, Mari, there’s still plenty of time for you to make up for lost time. You can start here.”

Marinette takes a deep breath and nods purposefully. “You’re right. Let’s do this.”

They step back outside and Marinette returns to mingling with all her old classmates.

\-------

All in all, the party is a success: Marinette leaves with all their contact info, promises to stay in touch, and a blinding smile on her face.

That night, once Marinette’s left the apartment to go patrol, Adrien passes Chloe ten one hundred-dollar bills. “Thanks for taking her to this, Chlo.”

She picks the stack of cash, counting it and smiling. “No worries. I think it was good for her. Let’s not tell her we planned this.”

He glances out the open window that she left open over an hour ago when she left, alone. “She needed the break.”


	19. past lives

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> woah! what's this! a daily post at a reasonable time! it cannot be!
> 
> anyways haha enjoy and have a fantabulous day!!!!!

“Hey, Marinette,” Nino starts, rolling over slowly to look her in the eye. “Do you ever think of, like, reincarnation and immortality?”

She stares down at him from her perch on the couch. “Woah.” Her legs are propped up on the back of the couch and her blood feels alive as it flows to her head, awakening and exhausting her simultaneously. 

He grins at her, overly wide. “Yeah, right.”

“You get introspective, man, when you’re stoned. Have you noticed that?”

“Oh, totally,” he answers, giggling. “Join me down here, will ya?”

“Okay,” she says and goes to carefully move down onto the floor, but she loses her balance and ends up tumbling on top of him. “Whoopsies!” 

He laughs at her, freely, as she slowly gets off of him. “You got to build up your tolerance, dudette.”

“Ugh, clearly,” she mutters. “The idea of like, reincarnation, though, is wild. Have you talked to your kwami about it?”

“Oh my god, you think Wayzz tells me anything?”

She looks at him silently for a moment, then they both burst out laughing. “Guess not. But the kwami and I are bros now, they tell me everything. Plus, I got all these books! Reading, is like, so cool, you know?”

“Oh, totally,” he says through snickers. “Books. Books books books.”

Marinette grins at him. “Maybe you should work on your tolerance.”

The two smile, mouths and eyes open wide in unabashed glee. “Maybe!”

“Tikki tells me so much stuff. More than I ask about. It’s kind of weird. But, like, past lives exist for miraculous holders. You’re like, Master Fu, 2.0, except Master Fu was already a reincarnation.”

Nino’s eyes go wide and his head falls back on the floor. “Shit, dudette. Really?”

She giggles, it’s too high-pitched and he winces. “Kind of, yeah. But they tell me all sorts of things that might not be true.”

“Like what?”

She leans in close, eyes wide, and Nino does his best to listen intently. “There’s something coming, soon, that’s going to change things.” He leans back quickly, gasps, and runs his hand over his face. “Or maybe it’s inevitable that something will happen eventually because that’s how life works,” Marinette adds with a laugh.

“Oh, yeah, that makes sense, dudette,” Nino mumbles, groaning. “You tired yet?”

Her eyes go wide. “Now that you mention it, I’m exhausted. Think Chloe and Adrien will suspect anything if we pass out here on the floor?”

He sighs again. “Maybe, but I don’t think I can get up right now- too many body mechanics in moving legs. Good night.”

“Fair enough,” she answers seriously. “Good night, Nino.”


	20. gown

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is such a nothing chapter lol but to be fair there was never a plot to this thing
> 
> it's just vaguely building to something at the end
> 
> anyways, like and comment if you enjoy it! have a nice day :)

“…Hey Mari?”

“Yeah, Chloe?”

“Are you ever in a mood to just like…go and try on some super fancy dresses and lounge around? Just to be regal?”

“So much more often than you’d expect.”

“I wish I had something to dress up in.”

“…Chloe?”

“Yes Mari?”

“What would you say if I told you I’ve got an impressive selection of overly fancy evening gowns in my room?”

“I’d say what are you waiting for, let’s go!”


	21. class president

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> posting super late again :( sorry !!
> 
> enjoy and comment if you like!
> 
> have an awesome night

“Aw, Mare-Bear, you were so precious!”

“You were quite cute, Marinette.”

Marinette thinks she might wring both Jagged and Penny’s necks if they make her look at one more old yearbook photo.

It’s sweet, for sure, that they’re making good on their promises to check up on her and continue reaching out, but this is almost too much concentrated caring.

“I like your blazer in these photos-” Penny says, turning the page to a full class photo.

Jagged grins and claps her on the back. “Yeah, it’s rockin’!”

“-I assume it was due to your position as class president?” 

Marinette smiles weakly at them- her time as class president ended poorly, and looking back she never really addressed any of what happened. It hurts more than she expected, but at the very least she can try to look back on these memories and laugh with friends.

“Yes. It was a busy job and didn’t last too long, but I think I did some good work. I helped organize all the birthday parties, brought treats in every time we took a test, and helped Ms. Bustier with some minor paperwork. Oh, and I managed all the class trips we took!”

Jagged looks on at her, vaguely impressed, but Penny is in charge of managing Jagged’s affairs and she looks downright horrified. 

“You can’t mean you did all that in a class position?”

“Yeah, of course I did! Just trying to be helpful.”

Penny studies her, slightly dubious and concerned. “You know you definitely got suckered by your teacher into doing her work, right?”

“What?” Jagged yelps, looking to Marinette for confirmation.

Marinette just shakes her head, chagrined. “Obviously. What was I going to do about it as a kid though? Plus, I wanted things to be fun for my classmates.”

Penny frowns at her, then shakes her head and smiles. “You’re a good kid,” she turns the page to the next set of photos and smiles. “Let’s keep looking.”


	22. akumatized

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sunny days are lovely days
> 
> they just fill me with good vibes

Marinette has felt adrift for years now. 

She’s building back a support system; has paid her respect to her parents, reached out to old friends, spoken with Jagged, rebuilt a strong team, and yet—

Nothing feels better. 

At some point, things are supposed to get better, right?

She buries her face in her hands and tries to take deep breaths through her flowing tears. She can’t afford to be this upset- she’s worked so hard to bottle it up to make sure she can’t be targeted by Hawkmoth, but sometimes it all just feels like so much and –

A butterfly flies into the room, purple and smoking, and it circles her. 

Her silent tears turn into full-blown hyperventilating and she’s starting to make a high-pitched keening noise, closing her eyes tight as it flies closer, when she hears footsteps in the apartment, pounding towards her.

“Hey, Mari- Oh my god, is that an akuma?” It’s Chloe, shouting in panic, and she runs over to Marinette quickly.

Chloe sits behind her, breathing deep with her, letting Marinette feel her calm heart and slow breath, and it feels like they’re there forever, suspended together, before Chloe releases her.

She moves so they’re sitting across from one another, but Marinette can’t bring herself to look Chloe in the eyes. “Is it gone?” She whispers, voice raw and raspy.

“Yes,” Chloe answers, voice firm yet reassuring. “Marinette. What just happened?”

Marinette forces herself to raise her head, staring at Chloe harshly, and spits out the words. “I-I messed up, I almost ruined everything for us, I let him get me. I failed our whole team- I, I’m just such a mess.”

Chloe puts her hand on Marinette’s shoulder, a comforting weight, and looks at her seriously. “You’re not a mess, Marinette. You are a strong, amazing leader, who is allowed to have feelings and moments of weakness.”

Marinette sniffs. “Really?”

“Yes, really,” Chloe scoffs. “You’re not the only person on this team who’s chased by an akuma. Hell, at least you weren’t transformed when it happened.”

“Oh yeah,” Marinette giggles quietly, a smile creeping up on her face. “That wasn’t your fault though, Chloe, it was all Hawkmoth.”

Chloe stares at her, deadpan. “For someone so smart, you’re kind of dumb. That’s exactly the point. Akumas aren’t anyone’s fault but Hawkmoth.” She hesitates, moving her hand away from Marinette, and gets up.

She casts one last look over her shoulder at Marinette before she leaves. “Don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone about this if you don’t want me to. I’ll give you some time to cool down. And- for what it’s worth, I’m really glad you’re okay.”


	23. buff!mari

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> lol i did not know what to do for this chapter so it's kinda weird i think
> 
> hopefully it turned out okay !!

“Hey, dudette, what’s your workout routine?”

The group had sent Nino in to ask Marinette because, in theory, the fact that he had a girlfriend should provide him at least some protection against her unabashed hotness.

This was a decently thought out plan, better than most of their ideas, but unfortunately, they had chosen to meet Marinette at her family’s bakery while she was making things.

They watched, dumbstruck, as she easily hefted two 40-pound bags of flour over her shoulder and turned to them, smiling easily. “Nothing really. I get the same amount of exercise running around in the suit during patrols that you guys do, and Adrien and I have been doing yoga every morning. That’s it, I think.”

They couldn’t respond, transfixed by the glistening sweat clinging to Marinette’s toned, ripped biceps. She moved to set the flour down on a counter, pulling her shirt up to wipe the sweat on her face, revealing her absolutely shredded abs.

There was no subtle way for the four of them to make a collective dash to the sink for water, but she seemed oblivious regardless, just laughing at them while she started mixing ingredients by hand.

Alya elbowed Nino, gesturing to the absurd amount of muscle tone evident in an action as simple as combining baking supplies, and quickly whispered “Ask again, but better!” while her back was turned.

He stepped forward, clearing his throat heavily, and gave it his best shot. “Are you sure? I was hoping you could give me some tips, to improve as a holder, of course.”

“I’d be happy to help you out! I’m really not exceptionally fit, no more than the rest of you, but we can definitely sit down and work out a routine for you.”

She returned to her baking, humming happily, while they stood in shock.

“She’s…amazing,” Adrien whispered, awestruck.

Chloe stared at her and shook her head angrily. “No. There’s absolutely no way there’s not some secret she’s refusing to tell us. Unless…You don’t think..?”

Alya gasped. “There’s no way she just doesn’t know how ripped she is, right? How could she not know?”

“Should we tell her?” Nino whispered anxiously. 

“No,” Chloe said resolutely. “She can never know.”

“Why not?” Adrien cut in. 

“Because,” Chloe said, looking at everyone seriously. “She’d be too powerful.”


	24. pressure

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oh my god i just got off work and it's 10:33 and i'm so tired
> 
> is customer service even worth it
> 
> what am i even saving for
> 
> why is capitalism so bad
> 
> anyways, enjoy and have a nice night haha

Marinette walks into the dimly lit room and stares at Nino dubiously.

“You really think yoga is the solution to all our troubles?”

“Dudette, you have no idea,” Nino responds calmly- he knew she’d doubt him at first, but no one can deny the peace a good yoga class will bring you.

She shifts the yoga mat under her arm, rolling it out next to Nino’s in an empty space next to the back wall of the room, and begins stretching awkwardly. “They’re burning incense in here.”

Nino smiles at her serenely and stretches his leg on the ground, reaching forward to grasp his foot. “And it smells delightful.”

“Hmm,” she answers softly, taking in a deep breath. It smells like something herbal, sharp enough to awaken her mind but soft enough to let her rest. 

“Takes the pressure off, doesn’t it?” Nino laughs quietly, careful to not disturb the other people in the room getting ready for the class.

Her eyes snap open and she grins despite herself. “I’ll try one class. We’ll go from there.”


	25. order of the guardians

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this series is like almost done?
> 
> it's very slice of life and fun which is nice
> 
> anyways, have a lovely day!

Marinette walks carefully up the stairs to her apartment after a long shift at work, doing her best to balance several large bags of groceries, and fumbles with her keys. She takes time to unpack everything, refrigerating and storing items, and all she wants to do is pass out on her bed until Chloe and Adrien get home.

So, imagine her surprise when she opens her bedroom door to see Master Fu sitting there, waiting for her.

She closes the door slowly behind her and walks over to the exposed miracle box on her dresser, meticulously going through it to make sure there are no missing miraculous. Once she’s assured her former mentor hasn’t touched anything, she turns to him, face carefully devoid of emotion.

“Why are you here, Fu?” She asks quietly.

He smiles at her, just like he used to before he left her all alone, and she can feel her gut twist at how much that reassurance used to mean to her. “Why, Marinette, is that any way to greet an old friend?”

“You’re right, Master Fu, how rude of me.” She smiles at him and steps closer. His own casual demeanor fades when he notices the tightness of her mouth, coldness in her eyes, and he shrinks into the cushion of her bed. “I mean to say, what reason could you possibly have to show up here unannounced, in my bedroom of all places?”

“Fine,” he mutters before straightening his posture. “I came to warn you, Guardian to Guardian, about Hawkmoth and how much of a threat he poses.”

She raises an eyebrow while he waits for a reaction, a response, then rolls her eyes in annoyance. “Well? What do you have to say?”

He folds his hands in his lap and looks at her seriously. “You must defeat him quickly, for he evidently also possesses the peacock, which is harmful to its holder, and appears to be mistreating both-”

“Is that seriously it?” She snorts, cutting him off.

“…Yes?” He answers, suddenly hesitant.

She steps forward, leaning over him, and starts venting about all the awful thoughts she’s had over the weeks she spent isolated, the past year she spent crushed under the terrifying responsibility of being Guardian. 

“You think you have any right to come into my home and try to tell me what I should do as the newest Guardian, how I should proceed in this half-finished battle you just threw in my lap because you didn’t have the guts to finish it out?” He looks like he wants to interject, but she keeps going. 

“Just get out, Fu. You didn’t even say goodbye to me when you left, you know that? You walked out on me when I needed you. When my parents died. Do it again, I’ll even turn my back so you can sneak out the window.” 

She’s practically spitting, unshed tears in her eyes, but she turns towards her door. She starts to cry silently, tears rolling down her cheeks when she hears quiet footsteps in the room, before nothing.

She didn’t think he’d actually leave.

Tikki flies out from under her shirt and Sass emerges from the kwami box as she turns to see her window open and Fu gone.

“Oh, Bug, you didn’t deserve that,” Tikki whispered, hovering over her. “For what it’s worth, I think you’re a lovely Guardian.”

Sass coils around her wrist. “Yesss, I quite agree. The old Massster was out of line, Missstresss, you shouldn’t feel bad. You’ve done an outssstanding job.”

She takes a deep breath, exhausted, and does her best to smile through her exhaustion at them. “I don’t know about you guys, but I’m tired. You can lay down in the bed with me, if you’d like.” 

She falls back onto her pillows and breathes shakily. The kwami nestle in her hair and it helps- old pain always seems to matter less when those she loves are there to support her.


	26. comfort

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yikes emotional feelings can be so rough
> 
> emotional trauma can feel so real
> 
> have an awesome day and leave kudos if you enjoy the chapter!

Marinette kneels in front of her parents’ graves and takes a deep breath.

They deserve her at her best, her most articulate and concise, clearly communicating what she’s here to say, and she doesn’t want to let them down again.

“Maman…Papa…Do you think I’m doing a good job as a leader? I just- I constantly second guess myself, and I have such a hard time sometimes knowing how to reach out to people again. It’s exhausting, really, and I can’t help but feel the others would be better.”

Now that she’s started speaking, the words are coming out in a rush and she leans her head against their grave. 

“Chloe and Alya are more assertive, Chloe knows how to talk to people and Alya’s brilliant. Nino is way less manic than me and he’s got such a strong relationship with the kwami, I feel like he could practically be Guardian! And Adrien is so strong, so kind, so loving, and I know he’d do a great job.

“I feel like I don’t have a role in the group. They don’t need me for anything, which is fine, I know, but it’s still awful to think about. I gave up everything to pursue the miraculous, to protect them, but any one of them would’ve done a better job than me, I’m sure of it. 

“And I’m still not good enough to protect them.”

Her breath shudders now, hesitant, and she’s scared to keep going. Sometimes, speaking out loud makes an awful thought more real, and she’s terrified to give potency to this one. 

She’s kept it in for so long, though, and hidden things have a way of coming out.

“I couldn’t protect either of you. If I wasn’t able to do that, how can I ever help my friends? I- I’m tired, and stressed all the time, and I don’t know what to do about it. I’ve given them the miraculous, equipped them with the tools they need, and it still doesn’t feel like enough.

“I don’t think I’m enough.”

She shakes herself, fisting her shaking hands in her skirt, and stands. 

“I am so sorry I couldn’t save either of you. You deserved so much better than me.” Her voice comes out as a whisper.

“You deserved a daughter who wasn’t so selfish that the only thing she can think of right now, when she’s trying to confess her sins, is that all she wants is for you to comfort her.” Marinette’s voice quavers and she starts to sob, holding her arms around herself. “I wish I could hug you.”

It’s been two years since they died, and Marinette doesn’t feel any closer to her goals.

Hawkmoth and Mayura seem impossible to find, she’s struggling to lead her team, and she’s so haplessly isolated within her own mind that she doesn’t know how to reach out to who’s there.

She wipes the tears off her face and schools her expression into a plasticky smile.

“Happy anniversary.”


	27. future

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> lol does this count as being on time
> 
> my job is literally sucking my soul and motivation to get shit posted
> 
> i'll still post a chapter later today don't worry haha
> 
> anyways, have a great night (morning?) and let me know what you think!

Sometimes Marinette swore her bones felt like lead and the air tasted like broken glass, weighing her down and tearing through her lungs and it was all she could do to try and keep breathing—

She was strong. She hadn’t had another choice for a long time.

It was easy to think of everyone who relied on her, depended on her to protect them, provide for them, guide them.

Chloe and Adrien needed her to maintain their home, Nino and Alya expected her to help them patrol and train, the kwami asked her to watch their home and keep them safe. 

She could do it; she’d push through the pain and sleepless nights spent crafting herself into the best fighter, brilliant strategist, selfless caretaker they always needed. 

And if it all felt a little too crushing, sometimes, on days when her wings ached on her back and she couldn’t step into her parent’s bakery due to the suffocating lack of closure and people yelling made her breath quicken because the only thing she could think of was the inevitable akuma –

Well, she’d just get through that too.

Maybe, someday, far off, she’d find a way to be there for the people in her life and be satisfied- maybe even happy.

For now, though, in the present, she’ll continue to smile and brush off her friend’s concern when they ask after the deepening circles under her eyes and see footage of her still out patrolling into the early hours of morning.

She doesn’t have another option.


	28. team leader

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i literally always feel awful for Adrien whenever the reveal happens with his dad
> 
> there's just like no scenario where it goes well, ya know?
> 
> anyways, enjoy and have a fantastical day!

Marinette is always the one who calls the shots.

They’re fighting against Hawkmoth and Mayura, a poor akuma and vicious sentimonster defending them, and Marinette is at the end of her rope.

She yells out directions, pushing Nino to trap the akuma in a shield while Chloe stuns it and takes their akumatized item; tells Alya to make an illusion to distract the sentimonster while Adrien gets in range to destroy it. 

Marinette herself is facing off against Hawkmoth and Mayura, hovering a few feet above the ground to give herself a better vantage point, doing her best to block them from leaving. 

Her mind is everywhere at once, trying to check in on her friends to make sure they’re alright, quickly grabbing the akumatized butterfly and purifying it once it’s defeated, dodging her enemies’ vicious blows.

Hawkmoth swings at her with his cane, made of metal and possessing the force to shatter cement; and Mayura launching razor sharp feathers from her fan to cut Marinette’s skin.

They rip through her suit like it’s nothing, but Marinette doesn’t have the freedom to give up- it’s all she can do to keep pace with them.

She throws a glance over her shoulder, sees her four partners hiding before their miraculous run out of time and deactivate, and steels herself.

She’s done what she can as leader: she will do the rest alone.

She casts a lucky charm, catching it out of the air without looking and stuffing it into her belt, and throws her yoyo at Hawkmoth’s wrist, encircling it and making him drop his cane into her open hand. 

She drops, feet landing hard on the ground, and uses it bare down on Nathalie, hitting wildly, and finally connects a blow on her arm that causes a sickening crack and drops her to the ground.

Marinette yanks the brooch off her shirt and spins towards Hawkmoth, who had been sneaking up behind her. She tries to hit him with the cane, but he twists it in her hand and she’s forced to let go.

She spins her yoyo as she holds up her lucky charm: a broadsword.

She advances towards him, moving quickly, and silently thanks Adrien for teaching her how to handle a blade. She attacks with the sword and uses the yoyo as a shield and pushes Hawkmoth until he hits a wall. 

Adrien has retransformed, she can hear his familiar footsteps coming up behind him, but she ignores him in favor of pointing the tip of her blade at Hawkmoth’s throat, right where his miraculous lies.

She stares at him, unblinking, and he trembles under her gaze. With shaking fingers, he slowly pulls the brooch off his suit, pressing it into her hand, and his transformation dissolves in a flash of purple light leaving – 

Gabriel Agreste. 

She glances back, stunned, and sees Adrien, as Chat Noir, kneeling next to Nathalie’s unconscious body and looking in shock at his father.

Her stomach drops and she steps back, unsure of what to do.

Is it really a victory if both parties lose?


	29. flowers

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> holy shit this whole thing is almost done- that's freaking crazy a little bit
> 
> like a month long investment of daily updates? that's so much commitment
> 
> also if you're like interested or whatever my tumblr is kittypryde-bipride so feel free to check it out

Since becoming Ladybug, Marinette had developed a serious green thumb, something only exacerbated by her taking up the mantle of Guardian.

As she grew in sheer power and knowledge, her gardening skill did too. 

Flowers visibly responded to her presence, springing up as she passed and shining brighter whenever she stopped to smell one.

Roses and daffodils, petunias and daisies, even cacti delighted in her presence.

Her personal garden was growing absurd. 

Chloe and Adrien had long since forced her to move her pots out of their apartment, as they were taking over the common spaces, and so she had set out to create a sanctuary in the bakery, dedicating her old room and balcony to her plants.

It seemed that the sanctuary was too welcoming, however, and she was once again running out of space.

She began giving flowers out as gifts, which became her handing them out to her team on any day that could be considered a special occasion, which turned into her sharing them on random days ‘just because’, which finally evolved into her practically tossing full bouquets at strangers on the street.

The worst part of it all?

She was beginning to crave the flowers.

They just smelled so good, sweet and fresh, and without thinking she had taken a full bite out of a marigold, burying her face in the scent so deeply her nose came away sprinkled with pollen.

She was halfway through chewing it, swallowing it, when she had noticed Tikki’s smug gaze from the corner.

Her kwami had assured her it was perfectly normal and even healthy for her to indulge in her ladybug-related urges, but it ultimately did little to quell the embarrassment she felt at eating a flower.

…But, in the safety of her home, away from prying eyes, it was hard to stop herself from snacking on a few buds each day.

Besides, it’s not like anyone would ever notice- her green thumb meant they could grow back the next day.


	30. balcony

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> almost at the end!
> 
> plz like and comment if you enjoy this :)
> 
> have a majestic day

Marinette stands on her beautifully decorated balcony, above the renovated and fixed bakery, and holds up a champagne glass with all her friends. She smiles at them, bright and filled with love, and begins her toast. 

“I’d like to thank all of you for taking the time out of your busy lives to be here.” Jagged and Penny smile back at her, proud tears in their eyes. “It means the world to me that you’d come out here to support the reopening of the Dupain-Cheng bakery.” 

She looks at her old classmates, interspersed through the crowd, and feels her heart swell with how they all showed up when she asked them to. Everyone from Rose to Lila is there to support her and she feels so incredibly loved. “I hope this can be an opportunity to bring our little community back together again, and will provide a beautiful place to begin building new memories in as we embark on this next chapter of our life. I know it’ll be amazing.”

“I’d like to especially thank those of you who’ve been instrumental in helping me deal with the management, publicity, and financial aspects of reopening. I couldn’t have done it without you.” Chloe and Alya smile blindingly at her. 

“And, of course, a special shoutout to those of you who’ve counseled me through the tough moments and have calmed me down when it all seems so overwhelming- because, believe me, there’s been a lot of those moments.” The crowd laughs, none louder than Nino.

“This has been a tough year for a lot of us-” Adrien looks up at her, and she thinks he looks peaceful despite the perpetual stress he’s been under since taking over the Gabriel brand and discovering the truth about his father. “-but I’m so incredibly happy we’ve been able to weather it together, and I have no doubt we’ll come out better for these hardships.”

She turns to a picture set up on a table otherwise filled with fresh pastries and other refreshments, and her smile falters. “Finally, I’d like to thank my parents for providing me with the foundational to reopen and for the name. They inspired my love of baking as a child and I am so unbelievably proud to continue their legacy.”

She holds up her glass once more and the crowd follows suit. “To the Dupain-Cheng bakery, and to new beginnings!”


	31. miracle box

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> fuckkkk this is the last chapter! whoa it's been like a month-literally :)
> 
> i really hope whoever reads this enjoys it and got some good vibes! as always, plz leave kudos and comments if you enjoyed, and have a fantastic day!

Marinette smiles softly, patiently, as she places Nooroo’s and Dusuu’s dormant miraculouses into the miracle box.

She sets snacks beside them, honey and sugar for the butterfly and berries and roots for the peacock, and closes the lids.

They’ll stay there until they’re done recovering.

Tikki comes up to rest on her shoulder, and Marinette’s wings flutter in response. 

“Do you think I’ve done an alright job?” Marinette asks, voice painfully quiet.

“Oh, bug,” Tikki starts, and she leads Marinette out of the room and through the window where they both take flight. “No one could’ve done it better- I mean that.”

Marinette reaches out and pulls Tikki onto her shoulder, trusting her kwami to hold on as she continues zipping throughout the city. “Thank you.”

“No, thank you,” Tikki cries out over the wind, serious as ever. “I am so unbelievably proud of you and I can’t wait to see what comes next.”

“Whatever it is, I hope it’s not another villain.” Marinette laughs as she makes her way back to her apartment where Chloe, Nino, Adrien, and Alya wait for her.

This battle with Hawkmoth may be finished, her first crisis as new Guardian has concluded, but every ending means a new chance to start over and she smiles genuinely at her close friends.

She doesn’t need to know what’s coming next, because for the first time in a long time she has the freedom to decide for herself what to do.


End file.
